MUGLA, Turkey: The worst wildfire in Turkey in decades has raged for nine days amid scorching heat, low humidity and ever-changing strong winds. So far eight people and countless animals have died in the fire.
In the coastal Mugla province, where tourist hot spots Bodrum The fire continued to burn in six areas on Thursday, officials said. Another tourist destination also caught fire in five districts of Antalya province, where two areas were evacuated on Wednesday.
Foreign Minister Mevlutu cavusoglu Said that the situation in Antalya is improving.
“We are in a better position today than we were yesterday. We stopped the fire from spreading further thanks to air and ground intervention.” “We are more hopeful tomorrow (when) the wind speed will ease. We need to convert it to our advantage.”
Precautions were taken before the flames reached the Kemerkoy Power Plant. The plant’s hydrogen tanks were emptied, and workers were evacuated. Inflammable and explosive materials have also been removed, according to state broadcaster TRT.
Energy Minister Fatih Donmez told reporters that the plant’s main units, including the turbines, were not damaged, adding that officials wanted to get it back up and running as soon as possible. He said there were no hazardous emissions from the plant.
“At the moment, there is no fire that threatens the plant,” he said. “This plant is of vital importance to the region.”
According to its website, the privately operated plant uses lignite to generate electricity.
Television images showed dozens of fire trucks and water tankers surrounding the main building of the plant, some shoveling water as part of a cooling effort that also involved aircraft and helicopters. There was no damage to the main building.
A forestry authority official warned, however, that the Kemerkoye plant and another nearby power station were still at risk due to unpredictable winds. The authorities blocked the roads and were not allowing people close to Kemerkoy.
Firefighters had been trying to douse the flames for two days before the fire reached the power plant. Videos from a nearby neighborhood of Milas show burnt, destroyed trees.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has come under intense criticism for its alleged slow response to the fires and insufficient preparedness for large-scale wildfires. The government acknowledged that the country does not have a usable fleet of water-dropping aircraft.
Firefighters from Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Spain and Croatia came to Turkey to support ground operations.
Kavusoglu said two planes being hired from Israel are expected to arrive on Friday. Poland offered to send an army Black hawk Helicopter and 14 crew members, while Turkey and the United States were discussing a proposal for two military Chinook helicopters, he said.
In the past week, mayors posted videos on social media appealing for aerial firefighters’ responses to local wildfires, and Turkish celebrities joined a social media campaign requesting foreign help to tackle the fires.
The campaign drew an angry response from a top ally of Erdogan, Fahrettin Altun, who said, “Our Turkey is strong. Our state stands strong.”
Ankara’s Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office announced on Thursday that it was investigating social media postings containing the hashtag “help turkey” for allegedly spreading misinformation. interior Minister Suleiman Soylu said that proceedings have started on 172 social media postings.
In an effort to control the flow of information, Turkey’s broadcast watchdog warned television stations on Tuesday about broadcasting reports it said was causing “an atmosphere of chaos” and could lead to firefighters and the public. affecting morale.
Erdogan, whom critics accuse of heightened authoritarianism, has accused members of the opposition party of perpetuating a “terror of lies” to humiliate the government’s response to the wildfires. The president said in an interview late Wednesday that Turkey’s municipalities, which the country’s main opposition party controls in several areas affected by the fires, are also responsible for protecting cities. Mayors have said they were not invited to crisis coordination meetings.
A heat wave in southern Europe, fed by warm air from North Africa, has contributed to fueling wildfires in the Mediterranean, including Italy and Greece. Heat wave conditions are expected in Turkey and Greece by the end of the week.
On Thursday, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemir suggested the creation of a mechanism under which Mediterranean nations would assist each other in combating wildfires.
“The time has come for the Mediterranean to fight wildfires because it is clear that from now on we will have to live with hotter weather and global warming,” he said.
In the coastal Mugla province, where tourist hot spots Bodrum The fire continued to burn in six areas on Thursday, officials said. Another tourist destination also caught fire in five districts of Antalya province, where two areas were evacuated on Wednesday.
Foreign Minister Mevlutu cavusoglu Said that the situation in Antalya is improving.
“We are in a better position today than we were yesterday. We stopped the fire from spreading further thanks to air and ground intervention.” “We are more hopeful tomorrow (when) the wind speed will ease. We need to convert it to our advantage.”
Precautions were taken before the flames reached the Kemerkoy Power Plant. The plant’s hydrogen tanks were emptied, and workers were evacuated. Inflammable and explosive materials have also been removed, according to state broadcaster TRT.
Energy Minister Fatih Donmez told reporters that the plant’s main units, including the turbines, were not damaged, adding that officials wanted to get it back up and running as soon as possible. He said there were no hazardous emissions from the plant.
“At the moment, there is no fire that threatens the plant,” he said. “This plant is of vital importance to the region.”
According to its website, the privately operated plant uses lignite to generate electricity.
Television images showed dozens of fire trucks and water tankers surrounding the main building of the plant, some shoveling water as part of a cooling effort that also involved aircraft and helicopters. There was no damage to the main building.
A forestry authority official warned, however, that the Kemerkoye plant and another nearby power station were still at risk due to unpredictable winds. The authorities blocked the roads and were not allowing people close to Kemerkoy.
Firefighters had been trying to douse the flames for two days before the fire reached the power plant. Videos from a nearby neighborhood of Milas show burnt, destroyed trees.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has come under intense criticism for its alleged slow response to the fires and insufficient preparedness for large-scale wildfires. The government acknowledged that the country does not have a usable fleet of water-dropping aircraft.
Firefighters from Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Spain and Croatia came to Turkey to support ground operations.
Kavusoglu said two planes being hired from Israel are expected to arrive on Friday. Poland offered to send an army Black hawk Helicopter and 14 crew members, while Turkey and the United States were discussing a proposal for two military Chinook helicopters, he said.
In the past week, mayors posted videos on social media appealing for aerial firefighters’ responses to local wildfires, and Turkish celebrities joined a social media campaign requesting foreign help to tackle the fires.
The campaign drew an angry response from a top ally of Erdogan, Fahrettin Altun, who said, “Our Turkey is strong. Our state stands strong.”
Ankara’s Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office announced on Thursday that it was investigating social media postings containing the hashtag “help turkey” for allegedly spreading misinformation. interior Minister Suleiman Soylu said that proceedings have started on 172 social media postings.
In an effort to control the flow of information, Turkey’s broadcast watchdog warned television stations on Tuesday about broadcasting reports it said was causing “an atmosphere of chaos” and could lead to firefighters and the public. affecting morale.
Erdogan, whom critics accuse of heightened authoritarianism, has accused members of the opposition party of perpetuating a “terror of lies” to humiliate the government’s response to the wildfires. The president said in an interview late Wednesday that Turkey’s municipalities, which the country’s main opposition party controls in several areas affected by the fires, are also responsible for protecting cities. Mayors have said they were not invited to crisis coordination meetings.
A heat wave in southern Europe, fed by warm air from North Africa, has contributed to fueling wildfires in the Mediterranean, including Italy and Greece. Heat wave conditions are expected in Turkey and Greece by the end of the week.
On Thursday, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemir suggested the creation of a mechanism under which Mediterranean nations would assist each other in combating wildfires.
“The time has come for the Mediterranean to fight wildfires because it is clear that from now on we will have to live with hotter weather and global warming,” he said.
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